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Thurday, Feb 23rd, 2012
The madness of matchplay claimed another victem here as Luke Donald, the defending champion and World No. 1 was run out of town by Ernie Els at the Match Play Chapionship with the core set of 5-4. The unexpected result also happened to the Open’s Championship, North Ireland’s Darren Clarke in facing match with American golfer, Nick Watney.
The former championship winner of US Open, Graeme McDowell from the North Ireland also had to accept the failure of 2-1 to YE Yang, a Korean golfer.
On the other hand, some other names such as Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Paul Lawrie, Robert Rock and Tiger Woods of course continued to go ahead on their road.
Donald falterly started in 2012
Donald was so dominant last year in winning the Match Play Championship that he closed out all six of his matches before reached the 18th hole. However, Els who only got into the 64-man field when Phil Mickelson took his family on a ski vacation delivered the biggest shocker in the first round by taking the lead for good on the eight hole and putting the World’s No.1 player in a hole from which he couldn’t recover. “I don’t think it would have mattered who I played today. I just didn’t play well,” Donald admitted. “I gave away too many holes and made too many mistakes. And of course for this playing way, I must take lessons and paid immediately”.
For this reason, Top-seed Donald became the third historical guy who lost in Match Play Championship first round. It has also been the first time since 2009 when he was stopped at the Top 30 in continuously three tournaments, which is worst start for a top earner in PGA & EU Tour.
McDowell took advantages after being the lead with 5 hole performanc. However, he was bounced by Yang with his two birdies in the next two holes and McDowell’s double bogey in hole 9, which made the Korean player be the host of the game.
“I feel that my competitor had a too execellent performance today” McDowell said about his woebegone failure in Dove Mountain. “ It sounds that I always have to chase him in the whole day while he never makes any wrong step”.
Clarke, McDowell’s countryman and mate in EU Cup Ryder team, also received unhappy result. He was dominated by Watney in the whole match time with only single eagle win in hole 8.
In contract to his North Ireland mates, McIloy has strunggled and won roughly when facing to George Coetzee (South Affica). Although he was lead prior by the competitor with one hole and losing in hole 16 & 17, McIlroy had finnally won in the next four holes since the 11th hole. As a result, 1 up was made by the present defending Champion of US Open.
Woods’ win is partially due to his competitor’s mistakes?
In the match couple of so many England golfers, Justin Rose was hardly oppressive under Lawrie, especially after his 3 bogeies in only first 8 holes. Despite of endeavour, he still had to give 1 up into Lawrie’s hand, which also claimed his 3rd failure in the first round in last 4 tournaments.
In the sencond round, Lawrie’s competitor will be Ryo Ishikawa (Janpanese golfer) who had beated Bill Haas with 1 up.
In another match, the 2 year ago Champion, Ian Poulter had his worst performance during his 9 attendances & bitterly beated by Sang Moon Bae with the score of 4-3. In the meanwhile, World No. 1fromer golfer, Tiger
Woods obtained 1 up from Gonzalo Fernandez Castano’s hand.
Woods was lost the game in the first 2 holes & it would have been worse unless he got Par by his sucessful putting with the distance of 15 metres. Since that, the match seemed to be fair for both Woods & Fernandez Castano, mainly due to mistakes from both sides. The turning point of the match was right at the last 4 holes. With only 2 putting strokes, birdie in Par 4 Hole 15 was set by Woods. And in the next hole, he became the winner again due to Fernandex Castano got bogey.
In the next round, Woods who has got champion cup 3 times, will be face with Watney.
